Tag Archives: Downtown Raleigh Portraits

Raleigh Rose Garden Engagement

Howie proposed to Jo at the Raleigh Rose Garden in downtown Raleigh, so it was only fitting that their engagement session took place there as well. This sweet couple was SO much fun to work with! We can’t wait for their downtown Asheboro wedding next spring.

How did you guys meet?
“Howie and I met when we were both in 8th grade. One of my friends convinced me to become a wrestling manager. Howie was a wrestler who just so happened to have a broken collar bone. Since he was injured, he wasn’t able to partake in practice, but still had to attend. I will never forget walking into practice and seeing this really cute guy sitting on one of the rolled up mats. I knew then, this boy was different than all the others.”

Tell us about your first date!
“We became best friends shortly after we met, but I never told him how I truly felt about him. Finally, one day in 11th grade, he invited me over to his house to play Guitar Hero, because we had a bet on who was better. We went to Wendy’s after school and headed to his house. We hung out all afternoon talking about everything under the sun and playing Guitar Hero. That afternoon, he finally asked me to be his girlfriend!”

How did Howie pop the question?
“Howie proposed two days after my birthday. At that time, Howie and I were both still in college, so we decided that I would come up to Raleigh for the weekend and we could go out for a nice dinner. I had invited my grandma and aunt to meet us for dinner as well. After we both got ready, we got in the car heading to the restaurant – or so I thought! Howie told me that he wanted to show me something really quick before dinner. By that point, I was hangry and I tried to convince him to let me call my family to at least go ahead and get a table. When we finally parked, he made me get out of the car and go for a walk with them. I was very frustrated because all I wanted to do was eat! After walking for a couple minutes, he stopped and made me put my hands over my eyes (at this point I would have done anything just to hurry this up!) He started leading me down a gravel pathway. Finally, he said I could uncover my eyes. When I looked up I saw a beautiful field of roses! I was so amazed! I wanted to stop and take pictures of all the flowers, but I could tell he had other intentions. He took hold of my hand and led me to another part of the garden. When we turned the corner, I was surprised to see both our families there yelling, ‘Happy Birthday!’ I was shocked, but kind of upset because that meant no one was at the restaurant getting us a table… We began walking around the garden and someone suggested that Howie and I get our picture taken in front of the fountain. I went to pose for a snapshot, and looked over to see Howie getting down on one knee. I had NO CLUE what he was doing and was in utter shock! Of course, I said yes!”

Erin + Matt’s Downtown Raleigh Engagement Session

Oh my goodness – there are no words for how much we loved shooting this engagement! Erin + Matt wanted a bit of an industrial feel (and lots of color) in their photos, so we headed downtown to the Raleigh Warehouse District for their engagement session. It was so much fun just to walk around and get to know them a little better. As wedding photographers, we’re constantly trying to find ways to make couples comfortable being affectionate with one another in front of the camera, but with Erin and Matt…we never had that problem. These two couldn’t keep their hands off one another. So cute!

Erin + Matt are one of the loveliest couples we’ve ever met, and we couldn’t be more excited about shooting their North Carolina Museum of Art wedding this weekend! In the meantime, here’s a peek at their Warehouse District + Arboretum engagement session:

How did the two of you meet?Matt: “At a pool party – my roommate, Sean, worked with Erin and he thought that we should meet. So I had him bring her to a pool party that we were going to one afternoon.”

Erin:“I was invited to a pool party by one of my co-workers, but was a little reluctant to go. After some persuading and a promise to meet some new people, I decided to go and check it out. There, I saw some old friends from college and one man in particular caught my eye. I didn’t know this guy and had never met him before, but I was pretty determined to talk to him and get his attention – little did I know, I was set up! Matt and I hit it off and enjoyed great conversation, chicken fights in the pool, flip cup, and just hanging out. From day 1, I think we both knew it…it was a crazy attraction and as silly as it seems, love at first sight!”

Where did you go on your first date?Erin:Lynnwood Grill in Raleigh. Matt will say that I stood him up for our first date, but I didn’t…that wasn’t an official date. I was supposed to meet him and his friends for drinks but was unable to.”

Matt: “Lynnwood Grill in Raleigh (if you don’t count the time she stood me up.)”

What is your favorite thing about Matt?
Erin: “He has a nice butt and blue eyes I can get lost in. But seriously, he is my everything and I can’t imagine life without him.

How did Matt propose to you?“On a private beach in Key West. …After dinner and the sun had set, Matt asked if I wanted to walk with him to the beach. …After getting out to the beach and sitting on some Adirondack chairs, we enjoyed a cigar together and casually chatted about the day, week and random topics before I noticed Matt had started stumbling over his words and his hands grew sweatier than normal. I finally stopped him mid-sentence and asked, “Love, are you okay?” He used some choice words, reached in his pocket and got down on his knee!!! Matt said – “My love, will you marry me!?!” I can’t even tell you how my heart kept from leaping out of my chest at that very moment! I proceeded to jump on him and remember kissing him while laughing and enjoying the moment in complete awe…I was going to marry this man. After some time, Matt pulled my face away and exclaimed, “You haven’t even answered ME!!” I also let some choice words fly out before saying, “Of COURSE I will marry you!!!”

What do you like to do together in your spare time?Matt: “We like to travel and experience new things. Anything outdoors.”

How would you describe Erin?
Matt: “She is my best friend. …She’s laid-back and easy-going”

We had a ton of fun exploring downtown Raleigh with Rachel and Jeremy this winter. They had just relocated from New York, and like us, still weren’t super familiar with the area. So it was the perfect excuse for all of us to get a little more acquainted with the downtown area.
These two will finally get to say their ‘I Do’s’ at the Rand-Bryan House later this week and we’re definitely looking forward to their wedding!
But for now, a few favorites from their winter engagement…

We’re huge fans of all the downtown murals.

Then we headed to Rachel + Jeremy’s apartment building for a few more relaxed portraits on the quad: